SCHOOLS SERVING UP SECURITY; PATROLS TARGET FOOD THEFT.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer

Forget the jokes about how bad school cafeteria food is. Antelope Valley high school kids are getting arrested for stealing it.

In a new zero-tolerance effort aimed at cafeteria shoplifting, school deputies are citing kids caught stealing food - more than 20 in the month since the effort started.

Teens going through the cafeteria line have been grabbing hamburgers, Twinkies, candies or whatever they want, and hiding it under their tray, in pockets or in backpacks so they don't have to pay when they reach the cashier, officials said.

``I've seen where they put a hot burrito in their pants,'' said Terry Custer, director of food services at the Antelope Valley Union High School District. ``They stick them in pockets and backpacks. They'll take pizzas. Whatever's out there, it's susceptible.''

The schools had tried fining students $50 whenever they were caught stealing, but some parents refused to pay up.

That's why Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were called. Cited for petty theft, teens go to juvenile traffic court, like other minor offenders. They face suspension of their driver's licenses for a year, officials said.

Before the district began imposing the $50 fine three years ago, its high schools were averaging overall 10 to 12 incidents of cafeteria theft a day, resulting in daily losses of $50 to $60 at each school, Custer said.

``I think it was more of a game than anything, to see what they could get away with,'' Custer said

After the fines were put in place, theft dropped by half. Most parents paid the fine, but the district had difficulty getting a few to pay.

``Quite often a parent will get upset,'' Custer said. ``They'll say, `It's just a couple dollars' worth of food, and you got it back. Why should my child have to suffer the consequences?' ''

The month-old arrest policy has further reduced the number of thefts to one or two a day, officials say.

Campus deputies who patrol each local high school are called in after a student is caught in the act of stealing food, said Deputy Steve Owen, school liaison detective.

``If a cafeteria worker or any school employee notices somebody shoplift in the school cafeteria, they will detain them and the school deputy is notified,'' Owen said. ``The deputy comes over and arrests and cites the offender to juvenile traffic court.''

Food stolen by the kids can cover the gamut from larger items like pieces of pizzas to candy and cans of soda.

``Today, we just had a kid at Palmdale High School who loaded up another kid's backpack trying to steal from the cafeteria,'' Owen said Tuesday. ``They put it in their pants, pockets, jackets. Kids hide food underneath the tray.''

Filling up a friend's backpack while waiting in line behind him is a frequent ploy, officials said.

``The buddy will fill up the friend's backpack, anywhere from 12 cans of soda, a burrito and snacks, and the kid says, `I didn't know they put it in there,' '' Custer said.

The students are caught by people watching the food line, said Custer, who added cameras will be installed.

``It's not to harass kids. Whatever they've taken away from the system is gone. Our whole goal is to feed kids at an inexpensive price. As thefts increase, prices have to go up to cover the costs of food.''